Alcohol has long been a hot-button public health issue in Europe. Recently, the World Health Organization (WHO) and the International Agency for Research on Cancer (IARC) have sounded the alarm. The human and economic costs tied to alcohol-related cancers are accumulating, becoming harder to ignore. In short, what we drink today shapes what we face tomorrow…
According to studies, health expenditure, productivity losses, and premature mortality linked to alcohol amount to billions of euros each year. Yet, alcohol taxation in most European countries remains woefully low compared with the damage caused.
In response to this, the WHO proposes bold measures: higher taxes, a minimum price, advertising restrictions, and clear warnings on labels. These proposals aren’t theoretical: they aim for measurable results in the near and mid term.
The Scale of the Health and Economic Cost of Alcohol in France
The numbers speak clearly: in 2018, premature deaths from alcohol cost the European Union nearly €4.6 billion, for the cancer component alone. When you also account for diseases such as cirrhosis, mental health disorders, or accidents… the total exceeds €125 billion per year.
In France specifically, alcohol plays a larger role than many realize. The country consumes more per capita pure alcohol than the European average. Wine, historically shielded by culture and lobbying, often benefits from low taxation. And this persists despite thousands of cancer cases attributable to alcohol each year.
What Measures Can Change the Equation?
The WHO first recommends introducing or strengthening a minimum price per unit of alcohol to make high-strength drinks less affordable. It also advocates raising taxes on all alcoholic beverages. Beer, wine, and spirits would be taxed under progressive schemes based on their alcohol content.
At the same time, restrictions on advertising and sales are back on the table. Fewer hours of sale, less promotion… And most importantly, more visible health warnings on packaging. These labels could help raise public awareness by explicitly stating the cancer risk linked to alcohol. A message that many either ignore or downplay.
The WHO and IARC aren’t necessarily alarmist: the data are there, clear and unambiguous. Alcohol as it is currently consumed in Europe exacts a heavy toll—in human lives, as well as in economic and social costs. Accordingly, the proposed measures are powerful levers to reverse the trend.
If some of these ideas seem unpopular or difficult to implement, they carry the merit of saving lives and delivering substantial savings on healthcare costs!
